Lefkara: Cyprus’ Lace Village

Tucked away and nestled in the foothills of the Troodos Mountains in the southeast of Cyprus is a charming village with old stone buildings, cobble stone streets, narrow winding alleys, and a colorful past. Locals believe that the name Lefkara comes from the words “Lefka Ori” referring to the surrounding white limestone mountains of the area.
Lefkara is a quaint sleepy village renowned for its exquisite lace. Lace making and embroidery is a 2,000-year-old Cypriot tradition. Historically, Lefkara is the most famous of all the villages for its elaborate lace. Omodos village, nearby, is known for their needle woven lace using a looping technique similar to one that is used for making fish nets. The lace making tradition has been passed down from generation to generation. The lace ladies lovingly make “Lefkaritika” lace using the same techniques that were introduced by the Venetian noblewomen from 1489. The Venetian ladies summered in the cool mountains of Lefkara to escape the heat of the cities. As a result of exposure to the Venetian lace, the Lefkara lace makers adapted and incorporated some of the new techniques. It is even reputed that Leonardo da Vinci visited Lefkara and commissioned an elaborately embroidered lace cloth as a gift for the altar of the Milan Cathedral, depicted in his Last Supper.
Lefkara lace is a form of cutwork where thin warp thread are counted and carefully cut away with small scissors. Next the cut area is embroidered with pearl cotton thread to create a tiny opening, which is either left open or filled in with embroidery stitches resembling filigree and latticework. The satin stitch and buttonhole stitch are used in this
tedious process. The finished lace must look as good on the back as the front, no
sloppy work allowed. This type of drawn and counted thread embroidery is very time consuming and detailed requiring concentration and excellent embroidery skills.
Traditional lefkaritika is done on white, ivory, or khaki Irish linen with a single strand of white, brown, or beige DMC pearl cotton thread. The same geometric motifs have been used for centuries with designs for the embroideries inspired by nature such as the sun, daisies, and rivers. The patterns all have names like: Leonardo da Vinci, spider web, snowflake, Byzantine, and almond. Usually a zigzag pattern representing a river is embroidered around the inside border of the cloth and then edged with a lace trim for the finishing touch.
At the beginning of the twentieth century salesman headed overseas for months at a time with their suitcases stuffed with lace, not returning until all of their wares were sold. There was a large demand for this luxurious lace through out Europe, England, and Egypt. The lace business was quite profitable making some families wealthy and putting Lefkara on the map. Lefkaritika lace became so famous that a tablecloth was presented to Queen Elizabeth in 1953 in honor of her coronation. Unfortunately this exquisite lace is now in danger of becoming extinct, since the younger generation isn’t interested in continuing the traditional handcraft. The pay is low, the hours are long, and the work is tedious; creating an exodus from the rural areas to the higher paying jobs and glamour of the big city. Lefkara’s leaders are concerned and determined to do whatever is necessary to keep the lace heritage alive in their village. Plans are underway to work with the European Union to receive grant money to fund the building of a Lace Institute of international significance. The Institute’s purpose will be to exhibit, document, educate, and continue the legacy of this traditional handcraft. The Cypriots are resourceful and proud people who have historically rebounded from adversity. After the Turk’s brutal invasion in 1974, much of the population was forced to relocate into refugee camps and tent cities, losing their homes, incomes, and businesses, the Cypriot government established the Cyprus Handicraft Centre in Nicosia. The main purpose, to create a cottage industry to assist, re-educate and train women by providing them with the necessary skills enabling them to become economically independent. This program was an enormous success and continues to offer traditional craft workshops including Lefkaritika, weaving, pottery, and wood carving. Visitors are encouraged to tour the center, visit the studios, shop in the gallery, and view the permanent folk costume exhibit. We can only hope that the vision of a Lace Institute is realized in the near future, enabling a 600-year-old handcraft to survive for future generations and preserve a rich Cypriot textile legacy.